The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1887-04-27
A PERIOD OF TERROR.
IChicago Times.l

III the u4stOIy VI OnlCdSO Will IeCdu q time
scarcely less frightful in many particulars
than the reign of terror in France at the
close Of the last century. 1t was year
when the fortunes OF the North had reached
the lowest depths. and when the triumph
of the seeding States was almost one of
the probabilities of the situation.
1t was also a presidential year,
and the Democrats we're present
ing General Mcclellan as their
candidate. The administration in power
was determined to perpetuate itself, and to
this ero It spared no effort. 1t is not in
the least an exaggeration nor an untruth
TO assert that very large element in the
party that supported the reelection OF Mr..
Lincoln preferred his success to that of the
union cause. There is excellent end po-
fential reasons for believing that had they
been offered the choice of the success of
the c0nfederates and that of Mcclellan
they would have chosen the former. 1t
was Lincoln, power, public plumber. every
thing, before the success OF the Federal
arms.
Hence, there was a persistent and vigor-
Gus effort to accomplish the defeat OF the
Democratic candidate. The same effort
that of defeating the Commander of the
Army of the Potomac-had been COM
menced in 1862, when Mcclellan was
wading through the swamps of the Chicka-
hominy. The fear that he would then
come before the people as presidential
candidate had taken possession of the
Washington regime and it's followers
throughout the North, and it continued to
influence their action up to the date of
his nomination in Chicago in 1864. The
fear then eliminated in what was beyond
question one of the most curious and
startling events in the history of the war.
1t is asserted that during the month of
August in which the Democratic conven-
tion met, conspiracy was exposed which
had for its purpose the releasing of the Con-
federate prisoners at Camp Douglas. 1t is
alleged that the movement began several
months before in Canada under the man.
agement of Jacob Thompson; that several
days before the assembling of the conven-
tion, large gatherings f.rebel symphatizers,
soldiers, and escaped prisoners took place
in Canada, who, under guise of Wis tors to
the convention, were to reach Chicago.
There they were to be Joined by members
of the Sons Of Liberty, Knights of the
Golden Circle, and the American Knights,
already organized through the West and
Northwest, which force, aided by the dis
coniented elements, was to inaugurate
instruction release the prisoners, and
burn and plumber Chicago.
Such was the alleged programme OF the
alleged cOnspirators. 1t is added in the
so-called history of this affair that the
commandment at Camp Douglas became in
formed Of the movement through agents in
Canada, and that, on learning what was in
tended, he telegraphed for reintorcements,
in response to which two regiments were
sent here, which remained during the ses-
sion OF the Democratic convention. 1t IS
asserted that the conspirators, seeing the
preparation for their reception, abandoned
their schemes, and no insurrection or dis
turbance OF any kind occurred.
There were still further conspiracies. In
fQf1hn- Of hn he 1-r1 foIo rako
prisoners made an attempt to escape from
Camp Douglas, but were defeated, owing to
the fact that they were betrayed by some
of their OWE numbers. a few of them
did escape-not more, however, than
score
In November still another conspiracy
was unearthed which originated in Canada,
and which was TO be commanded by the
same Captain Hines who is alleged to have
been assigned 10 the conduct of the origi-
nal movement. Concerning its character
and purposes, so-called historical account
says: ut was composed of the sane ele-
ments as before, and was to be put into
execution on the day of the presidential
election, November S. According to the
confession of the rebel officers and Others,
the design was to attack Camp Douglas, to
release the prisoners there; with them to
seize the polls, allowing none but the cop
perhead ticket to be voted. and stuff the
boxes sufficiently to secure the city; then
to utterly sack the city, burning and de-
stroying every species of property except
what they could appropriate TO their own
use and that of their Southern brethren
to lay the city in waste and carry off its
money and stores to JEFF Davis domin-
ious."
Such was the programme. Rebels from
the South and copperheads living in Chi
cago were to seize the polls, stuff the bal
la - Il -, i
burn down the city. What use in con-
trolling the votes of a city that was
doomed to immediate destruction? And,
again, what part was to be played by the
copperheads of the city, many of whom
were large property-owners? They are
credited with conspiring to burn their own
houses and destroy the homes of their
wives and children. In this work of first
stufhng the ballot-boxes and then destroy
ing the city the command was to be given to
"Brigadier General Charles Walsh, of the
Sons of Liberty"
All will recall the result OF the military
commlssi1n which assembled in Cincinnati
and tried the Chicago conspirators. The
men who were tried were Charles Walsh,
Buckner S. Morris, Vincent Marmaduke,
q. st. leger Grenfel, and r. T. Semmes.
In all, there were i've of these conspirators,
of whom two were citizens of Chicago. Of
the five, two were found not guilty. This
reduces the actual number OF men engaged
in it to three. These three were sentenced
one to death and two to short terms of
imprisonment. In the case of these three
none Of the sentences were carried into
effect. This finding three men guilty out
of the five, and then discharging of these
three without any punishment, was the
outcome OF the third great conspiracy"
which occurred in 1864 in the Garden City.
Can anything more trivial and con-
temptible be imagined than this outcome
OF conspiracies which were to release pris-
oDers control the vote of great city, an
nihilate Chicago, and inaugurate insurrec-
tion in the North? And yet this was all
there was of this gigantic movement, and
which, according to some authorities, ex-
cept Tor the vigilance Of the loyalists on
guard at this point, would have given Chi
cago over to destruction, created revolu-
ton in the West, and might have eventu-
ated in the establishment of the indepen-
dence of the South.
That there was a conspiracy at the time
will not be disputed; but as to the authors
OF it there is opportunity for diversity of
opinion. The facts and logic of the stu
alton amply justify the conclusion that
such conspiracy as there was concocted
to defeat Mcclellan, and not in the least for
the purpose ostensibly claimed, or as ''con-
fessed by rebel officers and others" How
far this view of the case is plausible will
-